A local clinic is embracing a more personal, science-based approach when it comes to prescribing medical cannabis for qualified patients.

After its initial launch in January, the Clinic Network of Canada (CNC) hosted the official grand opening of a new medical cannabis resource centre and pain management clinic at Pure Clinics in Sherwood Park on April 12.

Mike Lukacs, a cannabis educator and client services representative with CNC, said the clinic’s approach represents a necessary shift from traditional models in existence today.

“If people look at cannabis from a medical standpoint, and they have a treatable condition, they don’t just want a prescription and then to be left to figure it out themselves,” he noted.

“They want to have someone to help them through it, and I think that’s where we separate ourselves from other clinics.”

While CNC has a physician on staff to authorize patients who qualify, the process doesn’t begin or end there, according to Lukacs.

“We write prescriptions, but we’re also a resource and education centre — and we want to be viewed as such in both the medical community and the community in general,” he added.

Consequently, their process starts with the initial patient intake, followed by an assessment based on Health Canada’s Access to Cannabis for Medical Purpose Regulations (ACMPR) and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) guidelines and recommendations.

If a patient qualifies and the physician authorizes them, Lukacs said the goal is to then educate them on their options, and connect them to a licensed producer that suits their needs.

“Those discussions are based on what the research says is the best option for them, in terms of strain selection, producer selection and method of intake,” he noted.

“Ultimately, the best medication for a patient is the one that they’re going to use and the one that works for them, so it just comes down to figuring out which one that is.”

After a producer is chosen, the prescription is ordered and managed online, and then delivered to the patient’s door via Canada Post.

From there, CNC requires follow-up appointments every three months to ensure the prescribed cannabis is working as intended.

Since the end of January, the clinic has worked with between 50 and 60 patients, the majority of whom have used their prescription for pain management, according to Lukacs.

“About 80 per cent of our patients fall into one of the pain categories, which include conditions like rheumatoid or osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia,” he said.

“The remaining 20 per cent fall into one of the other categories that cannabis has been shown to treat, such as mental health, spasticity with multiple sclerosis, and nausea symptoms as a result of cancer treatments.”

Given current research, Lukacs noted those numbers aren’t a surprise.

“The strongest research that exists right now for cannabis treatment focuses on pain management, especially with the opioid crisis in North America,” he explained.

“It’s being looked at as a very strong alternative to some more heavily prescribed opiates, such as percocet, oxycontin and medications with codeine.”

Aside from educating people on the process and their options, Lukacs’ role at the clinic also includes community outreach. Among other things, that involves making the latest research available to both physicians and the general public.

“Medical cannabis has been an option for a number of years now, but it’s up to the physicians to follow the research,” he said.

“They have a lot to do on a daily basis, and new research comes out from all around the world, so I try to make them aware of what’s out there because their decision-making is clinical and it should be based on what the science says.”

Pure Clinics was first established as a weight management centre two years ago, but they were acquired by CNC at the beginning of 2018.

While they still provide weight management services at all three clinics in the Capital Region, the Emerald Hills location is the first to focus on medical cannabis treatments, as well.